Take the leap and the net will appear

*Disclaimer, this blog is meant to be both educational and entertaining.  The information shared here should not be a substitute for your own research.  Additionally as new information comes to light through books and other reputable sources, facts shared here are subject to revision.  Constructive feedback is welcome as long as it is appropriate and professional*

Someone who has had an incredibly positive influence on me in another time period has always taught performers to "Leap and the net will appear."  What exactly does that mean?  It means that sometimes you need to put yourself out there and make yourself vulnerable because there is always a net there to catch and support you even if you stumble.  So with that in mind I figured I should take a break from the more informative posts and tell you a bit about my very first experience at an event as a WW2 re-enactor.  This summary is probably going to be a two-part blog post so stayed turned for the second half after reading this one.  I took a huge leap by committing to debuting at this event and my net certainly did appear!

Every August in the small town of Conneaut, Ohio over 1,000 WW2 re-enactors descend upon a local park on the shores of Lake Erie for a 2 day event.  The event that is put on is the largest D-Day reenactment in the United States with an estimated 20,000 spectators arriving on Saturday alone to view the headlining beach battle, visit the encampments, and see various other town battles.  The beach battle is quite impressive, complete with amphibious landings by Allied re-enactors from Higgins boats.  

Event Poster for D-Day Conneaut 2015

Higgins Boat at D-Day Conneaut

What have I gotten myself into?

To put my timeline in perspective from when I decided to start developing an impression to this first event; I decided to pursue my impression in November and my first event wasn't until the following August.  This was a span of nearly 9 months!  I'm not going to say it's a requirement that you take that amount of time to develop your first impression but I really wanted to ensure I felt confident on the impression I was representing.  I hope that you dedicate yourself as well though to accurately represent your impression as well, whether it is 2 months or 9 months to prepare.  

On an early Thursday morning in August my "White Rabbit" and I loaded up our vehicle full of gear and hit the road en route to Conneaut by way of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Indiana.  Seven plus hours later, several pit stops, and some pretty awesome car karaoke sessions we were pulling into Conneaut, Ohio.  (Note:  There may or may not be video of me rocking out to some Spice Girls during the road trip.)

The White Rabbit & I on our way to Conneaut, Ohio

That's when it started to hit me, the reality that this event, my very first event was happening and there was no going back.  "What am I doing?"  "Did I make a huge mistake?"  "Will the guys in camp like me?"  I was second guessing everything, my stomach was in knots, and my heart was racing.  No matter how many words of reassurance my white rabbit said to me nothing was helping.  When you go to your first event I guarantee you almost certainly will have some sort of nerves as well.  The best advice I can give you to remember and work through the emotions, take a leap and the net will appear!  You may worry about how you will do but trust me in the re-enacting community there are some many of your fellow re-enactors ready to be that net and support you because they want to see you succeed too.  

You want me to sleep where?

Okay, before I get too far I want to give credit and recognition to the unit who allowed me to participate with them at D-Day Ohio.  There aren't really any Helferin units out there so as a female re-enactor particularly on the German side you will need to find a regular men's unit which will allow you to "fall in" with or join for events.  Remember in earlier posts I talked about networking? This is exactly why it is important to do so, without networking you may end up unit-less and unable to attend certain events you want to attend.  Remember though that different units have different membership requirements and kit requirements so make sure you talk with the unit commanders to understand their requirements before making assumptions about joining.  

I was invited to participate with the FJ's at this event.  For D-day Ohio all the regional regiments from around the country combine to form one large unit referred to as FJ-Kampfgruppe.  The unit leaders that organize such a large group deserve a lot of credit for all the hard work they put in to organize such an excellent display.  They plan out the layout of the camp on the beach, the schedule throughout the weekend, and lead several activities such as drill, marching in formation, and training exercises.  All in all they put on a great display to accurately represent an encampment of FJ's in stationed in Northern France.  

The FJ's getting ready for one of the event battles, D-Day Conneaut 2014

Leading up to this event the question of sleeping arrangements came up.  Most men in the hobby own, at a minimum, a set of Zeltbahns which are triangular camouflaged pieces of water-proofed fabric that were used in the war for rain protection and then linked together to create tents for the soldiers to sleep in while in the field.  Other re-enactors have invested over time in larger stand-up canvas tents to make sleeping out at events slightly more comfortable.  As this was my very first event I had not yet invested in any zelts myself and so had been assigned to sleep in a larger troop tent with some other guys who might not have zelts either.  

So as we pull up to the encampment, my nerves are at an all time high and have no idea how I was going to calm them down.  I get out of the car and walking towards me is that Cheshire Cat from Rockford, grinning as big as could be walking towards me.  The gentleman I refer to as my Cheshire Cat and I had stayed in touch over the months since Rockford and the development of my impression and we had actually become quite close as friends.  Despite this, Ohio was the first time we had seen each other in person since the last September so we had quite a lot to catch up on.  Some long overdue hugs were exchanged, and then he turned to me and said, "So we may have a problem."  As it turns out the gentleman who was supposed to bring the tent I was assigned to sleep in wasn't actually coming anymore.  

"It's okay though, we have a plan B for you. One of the guys is going to set up his extra zelt for you to sleep in so you'll have some privacy too." said the Cheshire Cat.  

Photograph of a German soldier next to his Zelt setup in a tent arrangement.  Imagine my thoughts trying to process sleeping in one of these!

To be honest, I'm not a camper, I don't normally do well roughing it and now I'm going to have to sleep in a tiny tent all by myself on the ground all weekend long.  How on earth am I going to do this, and so many other thoughts were going through my mind, all of them were not helping my nerves.  After taking a few seconds to process it, I realized I didn't have any other choice so here goes nothing.  Sarah, a non-camper, not really outdoorsy is going to sleep on the ground for the next 3 nights all on her own, get dressed in such a confined space, do hair and makeup in a small tent, and generally make herself presentable each day of the event.  Yikes!  

I do have to say undertaking the task of sleeping in a zelt was the ultimate test of the "Leap and the net will appear" philosophy!  Luckily I can say I survived otherwise I wouldn't be writing this post.  What were the results of sleeping in this Plan B zelt option?  Stay tuned for the next post!

To be continued...

Stay tuned for the next post where you will find out if I survived my first night in a Zelt and learn how exactly I met my own versions of The Caterpillar, The Madhatter, and The March Hare on my journey through re-enacting Wonderland.  

Links worth checking out:
D-Day Ohio Event Website:
http://www.ddayohio.us/

Fallschirmjäger-Lehrkompanie (FJR6) Website:
http://www.fjr6.com/FJ-LEHR/fjlehrkompaniecom/index.htm

Money doesn't grow on trees and neither do Impressions

*Disclaimer, this blog is meant to be both educational and entertaining.  The information shared here should not be a substitute for your own research.  Additionally as new information comes to light through books and other reputable sources, facts shared here are subject to revision.  Constructive feedback is welcome as long as it is appropriate and professional*

A recent email I received along with some discussions at a recent event got me to thinking it would be a good time for this next blog topic.  Let's talk about money, budgets, and affording your impression.  I want this blog to be informative and helpful to anyone that reads it but in order to do that I also am going to be honest with anyone that reads this.  To be perfectly honest, this hobby isn't cheap, it's actually pretty expensive for the basics, but don't let that prevent you from pursuing it if that's what you're passionate about.  I firmly believe anyone can afford to do this hobby well as long as you are realistic and do a little bit of planning.    

Examples of 2 different uniform investment options for Nachrichten Helferin
Taken at The Battle of the Bulge re-enactmet event 2016

Let's get down to business

Getting back on track, you've now settled on an impression, you might have delved into a bit of research and even connected with a few potential units.  But before your get too far into this hobby let's get down to the nitty gritty.  No one likes to talk about money or finances but it is key to set realistic expectations of what you can afford right away and what you might need to save up for.  So many times I go to events and see someone in a cheaply made uniform or a uniform that is completely inaccurate that they purchased simply because it's all they could afford at the time and hold back a grimace.  No one wants to be perceived as that person in the hobby, and that can be easily avoided by setting those realistic expectations up front and planning accordingly.  
To put this in perspective, I've only been doing WW2 re-enacting for about a year and in that year I've spent close to $3,000 on my uniform and associated kit items.  You don't have to spend $3,000 in your first year but if you're starting from scratch a minimum realistic budget should be at least $1,000 allocated to make an basic impression.  This will vary depending the specific impression too and what specific requirements your unit commander might have.  A Heer nachrichten impression for example, where reproduction uniforms are available from multiple vendors might be closer to $1,000 for the whole kit while a Luftwaffehelferinen with only 1-2 vendors for uniform could require a much higher budget.  

Now you're probably wondering how I managed to come up with these numbers?  Or how does this all break down?  Remember this will vary from person to person and impression to impression, and it may also vary from unit to unit based off of their requirements but let's take a quick look at how this all adds up.

Uniform Basics

Heer Helferin in Paris
Source:  Glory:  The largest archive of German WWII images on Flickr

The typical uniform you see at events for women portraying German Helferin is what is called the "walking out" uniform.  This is the skirt, jacket/tunic, collared blouse with tie, and overseas cap.  On the low end your uniform could cost as cheap as $250 all the way up to $800 on the high end.  Prices depend on the quality of the wool, skill of the tailor, and whether it is tailored to your measurements or an off the rack size.  In addition to the uniform piece there will also be insignia that will be required.  Your insignia can add up to $75-$100 or more.  Collared blouses will also need to be purchased to wear with your uniform tie.  

The uniform is not the only clothing pieces you will need though.  You're going to need uniform shoes to wear at events.  Acceptable uniform shoes are black lace up oxfords either flat or with a slight heel.  Modern reproduction style shoes will be an additional $50 approximately while vintage or vintage deadstock can cost up to $100.  

Examples of uniform shoe styles
Source:  353.Infanteriedivision Standards for Nachrichten

Foundations are key

You will also need foundation garments to wear.  Not every re-enactor has to go 100% to the level of accuracy for a period bra or underwear so we will omit those estimates but you will definitely need a garter belt and stockings.  A quality and durable garter belt let's estimate will be $40 and stockings $20 a pair.  Plan on investing and needing at least 3 pairs for your first event.  A rule of thumb to pack or have available 2 pairs for every day of an event.  So a 2 day event would mean you need to have 4 pairs with you in case you snag or ruin any during the day or evening activities.  

Accessories are key

In addition to your uniform, basic kit items will be critical for your survival at an event.  When I refer to "kit items" I mean things like your canteen, mess tin, silverware, blankets, and other items.  All these items can be purchased from several online vendors at varying price points, varying quality, and varying accuracy levels.  The best advice I can provide on these items takes me back to the previous post about networking in the hobby.  Ask your fellow re-enactors what they recommended but also ask multiple people just because one person swears by an inexpensive mess tin doesn't mean it's always the best investment.  

Canteen & Mess Tin Reproduction examples
Source:  At the Front

Check Please...

So totaling it all out a good expectation of what your budget will look like this:

Uniform (Median price) - $350
Insignia - $100
Uniform blouse & Ties - $75
Foundation Garments - $$75
Shoes - $50
Kit Items - $250
Total - $900

As you can see budgeting $1,000 as a starting point is not unrealistic.  Remember that these numbers are subject to variance depending on the vendors you choose to go with.  

Avoiding common mistakes

Research, Research, Research!
World War II German Women's Auxiliary Services published by Osprey

Now that we've shown some numbers I want to go into another honest topic concerning so many common mistakes I see at events.  First and foremost, not doing your basic research.  Remember you are representing actually women who served and put their lives on the line, they deserve accurate representation and not just an easy inexpensive out.  With that said research, research, research, before you buy!  Know what the uniform requirements were and what details were important on the women's uniforms.  If you choose to do a flak-helferin impression, slipping on a pair of men's uniform trousers, a fliegerbluse, and adding a flak badge does not mean you have a historically correct uniform.  

Note Women's Flak Helferin pants were different from Mens pants!

Think twice about picking up a modern skirt at goodwill just because it'll be good enough for now when maybe you're better off waiting a paycheck or two and purchasing that vintage skirt off of etsy which is much more correct.  Again always do your research before purchasing.  

All in all hopefully I've helped put some of this in perspective, this hobby is what you make of it.  We realistically desire to represent the men and women of this past generation accurately and respect them for the service they provided their countries.  In order to do this keep in mind cheap is not always the best route to go to achieve this.  

Notable reference sources & links

World War II German Women's Auxiliary Services by Osprey Publishing (Men-At-Arms book)
Blitzmädchen. Die Geschichte der Wehrmachthelferinnen im Zweiten Weltkrieg by Franz W. Seidler (ISBN:  3763759573)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/farinihouseoflove/
http://353id.org/nach.html

Vendor Links (not all inclusive)

Kit Items:
http://atthefront.com/
http://www.hessenantique.com/
http://www.kelsmilitary.com/SFNT.html

Uniforms:
http://feldissue.com/
http://schusters.ru/en/shop/germany-1933-1945/uniforms-4/